Dave Smith and Richard Pozar shot a best-ball net 57 for the overall low net score and also won the third flight in the Butte Creek CC Spring Opener.

The favorites (or at least the ones I put my money on), Jim Mann and Jim Westcott, finished second overall and first in the second flight with a score of 60. Winning the first flight going away with a score of 62 was the team of John MacTavish and yours truly. Benny Walters and Curtis Avrit took second in the first flight with a score of 65.

Gary Bright and Royal Hawkley also came in with a net 65 to finish second in the second flight. Taking second in the third flight was the team of Ray Hobbs and Al Bouvet with a score of 65. Bill Rich won closest to the pin on No. 3 and Mann followed suit on No. 17. The horse race winners were Brian Jones and Scott Navarro; Bright and Hawkley; and Jim Gwyn and Phil Jones in each of the three flights.

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The team of John Blackburn and Jim Palmer will represent the Lava Creek GC in the next level of qualifying of the NCGA Four-Ball Net Championship, albeit their win did not come easily. Their score of 55 tied the team of Stephenson Johnson and Kerry Kennedy and it took three playoff holes before Blackburn and Palmer finally prevailed. The team of Paul Derr and Al McGreehan and the team of Tom Mason and Tom Prue tied for third place.

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A couple of Bidwell Park GC players shot their age recently. Sam Davis shot a nice round of 74 to shoot his age for the first time. Davis was playing in a group with Dick Dobkins, Ron Martinez, Les Perkins and Dan Vermette. A little later on the same day, Gene Parker posted a respectable 85 to shoot his age for the first time as well. His playing companions were Ken (not again) Jensen, Richard Pascoe and Don Cummings, who has probably lost count of the number of times he has shot his age.

The Table Mountain GC Women's Golf Club played a Putts Only tournament for its weekly outing. Low gross on the day was Janett Ott with a score of 89. Linda Ames shot the low net round of 69. In the putts category Sandy Goble was first with 28 putts, followed by Sonja Barnes (30) and Mary Haloski (33). Sue Snow took the closest to the pin prize.

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Quip — A guy goes to the doctor for a checkup. Afterward, the doctor says, "I've got good news and bad news." The guy says, "Give me the bad news first, Doc." "You've got an incurable disease and probably won't live more than a year." "Geez, what could possible be the good news?" "I broke 80 yesterday."

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Fact — Until 1938, a tournament player could use as many clubs as he could afford or his caddy could carry. But in that year, the USGA imposed a 14-club limit, and the R&A approved the same number the next year. These changes were made so that the best player could win, not the person with the largest supply of clubs for every possible situation.

Ed Anderson's local golf column appears Tuesdays. He can be reached by writing to P.O. Box 839, Chico, CA 95927, or by emailing to edandersn@sbcglobal.net.